Category: Shrewsbury

Aberdeen, Bradley Beach, Deal, Freehold, Hazlet, Manasquan, Middletown, Monmouth County, Neptune, Oceanport, Red Bank, Shrewsbury

Monmouth County Man Sentenced to 20-Years in Prision for Making Threatening Communications and False Bomb Threats

December 7, 2023

TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison for making threatening telephone and email communications to New Jersey state officials, judges, law enforcement officers, and attorneys, and phoning in false bomb threats to local and state government offices, a police department, two law firms and a commercial establishment, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Eric G. Hafner, 32, formerly of Monmouth County, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp on May 17, 2022, to one count of making threating communications in interstate or foreign commerce with intent to extort, one count of making threatening communications in interstate or foreign commerce, and one count of conveying false information concerning the use of an explosive device. U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

“This defendant repeatedly targeted public servants—elected representatives, judges, and law enforcement officials—and private citizens with threats and attempts at extortion,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “He further victimized these public officials, private citizens, and the public generally by calling in numerous false bomb threats to a courthouse, a police department, law firms, businesses, and an elected official’s office. These types of threating communications are unacceptable. They cause serious harm to victims, and will be met with a swift response by this Office. This defendant has now faced justice for these serious crimes.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between July 2016 and May 2018, while residing outside the United States, Hafner communicated threats to numerous individuals located in and around Monmouth County and elsewhere. The victims were elected officials, judges, police officers, attorneys, and their families. Hafner sought to extort $350,000 from some of his victims. Hafner also made false bomb threats to an elected official’s office, a county courthouse, a police department, two law firms, and a commercial establishment.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Hafner to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office; officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; New Jersey State Police; the Bradley Beach Police Department; Fairhaven Police Department; Aberdeen Police Department; the Hazlet Police Department; Shrewsbury Police Department; the Red Bank Police Department; the Freehold Township Police Department; the Middletown Police Department; the Neptune Township Police Department; the Oceanport Police Department; the Deal Police Department; and the Manasquan Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton and R. Joseph Gribko, Deputy Chief of the Civil Rights Division.

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Defense counsel: Mark Catanzaro Esq. of Mount Holly, New Jersey

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com
Long Branch, Middletown, Monmouth County, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, West Long Branch

Red Bank Man Charged With Numerous “Upskirting” Involving Juveniles

January 18, 2023

FREEHOLD, NJ (MONMOUTH) – A local man charged late last year with taking “upskirting” photos of two women in a Shrewsbury Borough supermarket has been rearrested and charged with numerous similar additional offenses, including eight involving victims who are believed to be juveniles, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.  

Christopher W. Cox, 33, of Red Bank is charged with eight counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, nine counts of third-degree Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, nine counts of third-degree Invasion of Privacy, two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact, and a single count of fourth-degree Possession of a Large-Capacity Gun Magazine.  

An investigation involving members of the MCPO Special Victims Bureau and the Shrewsbury Borough Police Department has revealed the following facts:

Shortly before 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, 2022, a man later identified as Cox was seen entering the ShopRite of Shrewsbury on Shrewsbury Avenue, and shortly thereafter he began following female shoppers around the store, using his cell phone in a manner indicating that he was surreptitiously taking photos of them from behind. Cox was then seen exiting the store and leaving the area in a white Dodge Durango.  

About a week later, shortly after 9 a.m. on Thursday, October 27, 2022, Cox was pulled over on Newman Springs Road in Red Bank. After initially obeying a command from an officer to exit his vehicle, Cox then quickly reentered the SUV and sped away from the scene, with the officer releasing his grip on him in order to avoid getting dragged by the vehicle. Cox was located in Little Silver shortly thereafter and taken into custody without incident.

The investigation ultimately led to the seizure of the aforementioned large-capacity gun magazine and numerous digital video files in Cox’s possession, most depicting girls and women being surreptitiously filmed from below using a cell phone placed in a grocery basket, duffel bag, or other means of conveyance. The incidents took place at the following times and locations:

  • Shortly before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at the ShopRite Wines & Spirits on South Avenue East in Westfield (Union County);
  • Shortly before 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at the ShopRite supermarket on West Grand Street in Elizabeth (Union County);
  • Shortly before 1:15 p.m. on Monday, May 30, 2022 at the ShopRite of Shrewsbury;
  • Shortly before 4 p.m. on Friday, July 1, 2022 at an unspecified Walmart;
  • Shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 2022 at the ShopRite supermarket at the intersection of routes 36 and 71 in West Long Branch;
  • Shortly after 2:45 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 2022 at an unspecified Foodtown supermarket;
  • Shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, 2022 at the Whole Foods supermarket on Route 35 in Middletown; and
  • Shortly before 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, September 18, 2022 at the ShopRite of Shrewsbury.

The investigation further determined that Cox has recently been employed as a plumber. The Criminal Sexual Contact charges against him are connected to incidents taking place on Friday, November 11, 2022 and Monday, January 2, 2023 in which he surreptitiously videotaped himself rubbing his pelvic area on clients while in their homes, in one case exposing himself and performing a lewd act.

This case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Lavender of the Special Victims Bureau. Cox is being represented by Christian Fleming, Esq., with an office in East Brunswick.

Cox was last arrested during a traffic stop in Shrewsbury Borough on Thursday, January 12. A detention hearing in this case has been tentatively scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 19. The State has filed a motion to keep Cox detained as the case against him proceeds.

“The conduct being alleged and the frequency of the incidents associated with the charges announced today are equally concerning and disturbing,” Prosecutor Santiago said. “We are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Mr. Cox to please come forward and tell us what they know.”

A recent photo of Cox is being released along with this press release. Anyone with information about this matter is urged to contact MCPO Detective Sgt. Shawn Murphy at 800-533-7443 or Shrewsbury Borough Police Department Detective Daniel DeCristofaro at 732-741-2500, Ext. 230.

Anyone who feels the need to remain anonymous but has information about this or any crime can submit a tip to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling their confidential telephone tip-line at 1-800-671-4400; by downloading and using the free P3 Tips mobile app (available on iOS and Android – https://www.p3tips.com/1182), by calling 800-671-4400, or by going to the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.

Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are punishable by up to 10 years in state prison.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

Christopher W. Cox, 33, of Red Bank is charged with eight counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, nine counts of third-degree Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, nine counts of third-degree Invasion of Privacy, two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Sexual Contact, and a single count of fourth-degree Possession of a Large-Capacity Gun Magazine.  

Farmingdale, Howell, Monmouth County, Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls

Woman Charged with Stealing from Another Employer

February 25, 2022

FREEHOLD – The Howell woman who was criminally charged last month with swindling a former employer out of more than $2.2 million over the course of seven years has been additionally criminally charged with stealing more than $67,000 from her next employer, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Friday.

Donna Cook, 52, is charged with third-degree Theft by Unlawful Taking, third-degree Forgery, and third-degree False Uttering.

After news coverage of Cook’s January arrest circulated, her next employer, a Shrewsbury-based excavating company, reviewed its financial records – and discovered that from early November 2021 into early January 2022, Cook had allegedly written multiple checks out to cash, and an additional check made out to directly pay a personal expense, with forged signatures, according to an investigation by the MCPO Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Bureau.

Cook turned herself in again to authorities on Friday, after which she was released with a pending first appearance to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court. The arrest was made a little more than a week after her scheduled first appearance in the initial case against her, which resulted in separate charges of second-degree Theft, third-degree Forgery, and third-degree False Uttering in connection with Cook’s alleged actions taken while at her previous employer, a Tinton Falls-based construction company.

The Prosecutor’s Office would like to thank the members of the Shrewsbury and Tinton Falls police departments who assisted the two investigations. Anyone with additional information about potentially problematic activities on the part of Cook at any of her places of employment is encouraged to contact MCPO Detective Michael Acquaviva toll-free at (800) 533-7443.

These cases are being prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos. Cook is being represented by Allison Friedman, Esq., with an office in Freehold.

If convicted on the second-degree offense, Cook faces up to 10 years in state prison.

Despite the aforementioned pending charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

Farmingdale Woman Charged with Stealing $2.2 Million from Tinton Falls Construction Company
Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels.com
Colts Neck, Freehold, Monmouth County, Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury Man Charged With Embezzling $750K From His Former Employer, D’Angelico Guitars of America

September 8, 2021

FREEHOLD, NJ (MONMOUTH)–A Shrewsbury man has been criminally charged with embezzling more than $750,000 from the Colts Neck-based company he once worked for as an accountant, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey announced Wednesday.

Mark S. Bloom, 45, is charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Colts Neck Police Department led to a financial analysis of D’Angelico Guitars of America, a musical instrument manufacturer headquartered on Route 537.

The analysis revealed that sometime in early 2020, Bloom had created a new personal PayPal account and began surreptitiously transferring funds into it from the company’s American Express business account and its PayPal business account. Using the personal PayPal account, Bloom then spent much of the more than $750,000 he embezzled on online gambling.

Bloom was charged via summons on Tuesday pending the scheduling of a hearing to take place in Monmouth County Superior Court. He is being represented by Randolph H. Wolf, Esq., with an office in Red Bank. 

The case is assigned to Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Anastos of the Prosecutor’s Office’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit. 

Despite the aforementioned pending charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.

Eatontown, Ewing, Ewing, Long Branch, Mercer County, Monmouth County, Ocean, Shrewsbury, Tinton Falls

State Police Arrest Two for Armed Robbery and Link Suspects to 100 Vehicle Burglaries in Monmouth County

October 14, 2020

EWING TOWNSHIP-WEST TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)– The New Jersey State Police have arrested Mario Mondragon, 21, of Long Branch, N.J., and Genaro Guzman, 21, of Shrewsbury Township, N.J., for committing 2 armed robberies and approximately 100 vehicle burglaries spanning 5 Monmouth County municipalities between April and June.

During a five-month investigation, State Police detectives with the Troop “C” Criminal Investigation Office (CIO) along with members of the Eatontown Borough Police Department, Tinton Falls Police Department, Ocean Township Police Department, and Long Branch Police Department, identified Mondragon and Guzman as the suspects in armed robberies in Shrewsbury Township and Eatontown Borough.

On Saturday, May 16, Mondragon and Guzman were burglarizing a vehicle at a Shrewsbury Township residence when they were confronted by the homeowners. During the confrontation, the suspects allegedly brandished a handgun and taser before fleeing. On Saturday, June 6, in Eatontown Borough, the duo sprayed a deliveryman with oleoresin capsicum (pepper) spray and physically assaulted him during a robbery.

Through various investigative means and by using evidence recovered by the Troop “C” CIO and State Police Crime Scene Unit, investigators were able to link Mondragon and Guzman to an additional 100 vehicle burglaries in Monmouth County. On Thursday, October 8, detectives from the Troop “C” CIO, State Police Fugitive Unit, K9 Unit, along with members of the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Task Force located and arrested Mondragon in Long Branch, N.J., and Guzman in Shrewsbury Township, N.J.

Mondragon and Guzman were charged with armed robbery, unlawful possession of a weapon – handgun without permit, unlawful possession of a weapon – other weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose – firearm, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose – other weapon, aggravated assault by pointing a firearm, burglary, and theft. They were lodged at the Monmouth County Correctional Institute pending a bail detention hearing.

Mondragon and Guzman were charged separately by our partnering agencies.

This case is being prosecuted by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Charges are mere accusations, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.